Cllr Jack Hopkins elected to lead Lambeth Labour

30th January, 2019

leader

On Monday (28th January), Lambeth Labour Group elected Cllr Jack Hopkins to be the new leader of Lambeth Labour and the next leader of Lambeth council. The election follows the announcement that Cllr Lib Peck, Leader of Lambeth council since 2012, has stood down to take up a new role leading London’s Violence Reduction Unit.

Cllr Hopkins was deputy leader of the council since 2018, and a councillor in Oval ward since 2010. He has been a Cabinet Member since 2012, covering various portfolios including regeneration, economic development, employment, planning, community safety and culture.

Following his election, he said “I’m proud to have been chosen to lead the borough that I love and I’m looking forward to getting started and building on Labour’s achievements in the borough over the coming years.

It was a great contest and I want to thank my fellow councillors Jenny Brathwaite, Matthew Bennett and Claire Holland who are all experienced councillors and Cabinet members and they brought fantastic new ideas and experience to the table. I’m looking forward on working with all of our councillors and you as party members on how we can work together to improve our borough.

Because while this is an amazing place to live, we know that Lambeth also has major challenges and our residents face significant inequalities.

In order to tackle the challenges Lambeth’s communities face, whether that be child poverty, youth violence or loneliness and isolation, we need to build a truly united borough. This will mean drawing on our resources and working with the voluntary and community sector, local business – and most importantly Lambeth’s residents – to make sure we are taking advantage of the breadth of talent and range of ideas and solutions that we possess in Lambeth.

And with Brexit on the horizon and austerity continuing under this Conservative government, we must redouble our efforts as Lambeth Labour to stand up for our most vulnerable residents and to make Lambeth a fairer and more equal borough. And as leader, I will make sure we fight even harder against the cuts that the Tories are imposing on us, putting the blame squarely where it belongs in Westminster and ensuring we do everything possible to get the Labour government that Lambeth, and the country, desperately needs.

To follow in the footsteps of Lib Peck after her great six years as our leader will not be an easy task, but with your support, I’m convinced that together, we can make a better Lambeth for all.”

Cllr Hopkins will formally be elected as leader of the council at a meeting of Lambeth council in February.